There are a number of patents and products on the market that are directed to controlling and preventing fecal hair excretion and trichobezoar (hairball) formation in animals such as cats, rabbits and ferrets. The patents or published application include U.S. Pat. No. 6,562,366 and U.S. Pub. No. 2003/0133923 which describe the use of a food grade fat emulsifiers, such as a Tween® surfactant, to reduce hairball size by degrading the enmeshed fat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,529 and U.S. Pub. No. US 203/0091668 are directed to a process and composition for controlling hairball excretion and formation by feeding an animal a composition that includes 10 to 42 wt % crude protein, 4 to 30 wt % fat, 1 to 25 wt % total dietary fiber and supplemental fiber source. The supplemental fiber source includes either a blend of at least one fermentable fiber such as beet pulp and a cellulose ether or a blend of at least one fermentable fiber such as beet pulp, a cellulose ether and mineral oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,401 and U.S. Pub. No. US 2003/0066433 describe a two component pet food product that includes malt syrup and petroleum jelly or mineral oil as a hairball treatment formulation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,403 describes the use of bromelain to treat or prevent hairball formation and U.S. Pub. US 2003/0147940 describes the incorporation of 1 to 10 wt % of fibrous material., such as kelp, papaya, molokheiya or plantago, in animal feed to assist in the evacuation of hairballs.
There are also a number of commercial products for the control and prevention of hairballs. Those that rely on a higher fiber content include Technical Hairball Formula by Martin Pet Foods; Iams Hairball Prevention Diets, Iams Active Maturity Hairball Care and Eukanuba Hairball Relief Formula; Proplan Advanced Hairball Control Formula and Purina Special Care Hairball Formula by Purina; Science Diet Hairball Control Formula and Science diet Feline Hairball Senior by Hills; 8 in 1 Kittymalt Hairball Remedy; EaglePack Adult Hairball Formula; and Royal Canin Hairball Control Formula. These products are typically a monocomponent pet food product in the form of dry kibble or tabs.
The commercial products that rely on a lubricant for the control of hairballs include Hartz Health Measures Hairball Remedy, Cat Lube Hairball and Digestive Aid, Petromalt Hairball Remedy, Femalt Hairball Remedy, and Vetbasis Hairball Relief Gel. These products typically include the lubricant in the form of a gel.
U.S. Patent Nos. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,312,746; 6,254,910 and 6,117,477 all describe a multicomponent pet food product that includes a cereal based shell component completely surrounding an inner component to form a dual textured animal food product in which the shell component is harder than the inner component. The shell component has a total moisture content of less than about 20 wt % and contains at least one ingredient comprising a carbohydrate, fat, protein or combination thereof. The inner component is comprised of at least a mixture of lipid and solid ingredients. The inner component also has a water activity, aw, of less than about 0.65 and a total moisture content of less than about 15 wt %. The above U.S. patents are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The current hairball products are typically based on either high amounts of fiber or high amounts of lubricants. High amounts of fiber cause irritation of the intestinal lining of the animal. Products containing high amounts of lubricants are messy to handle. High amounts of both fiber and lubricants cause the hairball products to be quite unpalatable to most animals and especially to cat. This results in the animals not receiving effective amounts of the product necessary to control or prevent the formation of hairballs.
It would be desirable to provide a palatable edible product that includes ingredients for the control and prevention of hairballs in animals. The present invention provides a multi-phased approach that incorporates a combination of ingredients for the control and prevention of hairballs in animals. In a preferred embodiment, this combination includes petrolatum, soluble and insoluble fibers, zinc and linoleic acid. The present invention also provides for enhanced palatability of the pet food product containing the hairball control ingredients, as well as, increased efficacy of the inventive food product for hairball treatment. Additionally, because the animal is more likely to consume more of the product of the present invention, that will even more effectively control and prevent hairball formation. Because of the combination of fiber and lubricant, the present invention provides utilizing lower amounts of both while being effective in reducing the side effects present when high amounts of either the fiber or lubricant are used alone.